NFL teams to potentially tank for Dante Moore, Arch Manning and Co.

When Oregon Ducks quarterback Dante Moore announced his decision to return to college for one more season, it was clearly going to send ripple effects through the 2026 NFL Draft, as he was spurning a chance to be either the No. 1 or No. 2 pick.

The quarterback-needy Las Vegas Raiders selected Indiana's Fernando Mendoza first overall, while the New York Jets, also needing a long-term solution at quarterback, opted for Texas Tech edge rusher David Bailey. Moore's return to Oregon left no other passer worthy of being selected second overall. But his return didn't just change the results of the 2026 draft, but also the 2027 draft — and the jockeying that will likely take place this fall in the NFL with Moore, Texas' Arch Manning, South Carolina's LaNorris Sellers and several other quarterbacks projected as franchise-level talents.

As many as a dozen NFL teams don't consider their current starting passer heading into this season as a long-term option, with two consecutive weak quarterback classes as a prime cause. It's created a significant separation between those who have a solidified starting quarterback, and those who don't. And in professional sports, those who don't have the goods will do anything to get them.

Just look at the NBA this past season. The 2026 draft class features a rock solid top four of BYU's AJ Dybantsa, Kansas' Darryn Peterson, Duke's Cameron Boozer and North Carolina's Caleb Wilson, all of which are considered future multi-time All-Stars with superstar potential. Teams began to "tank" — purposely losing and dropping in the standings in order to increase odds of a high draft pick — began around Christmas and continued for the final four months of the season.